1957

Chanel 1957 dupe, inspired by the original

Chanel released 1957 in 2019 as part of Les Exclusifs, named for the year the house first arrived in America. Composed by Olivier Polge, it is a clean, luminous musk built on layered white musks, orris and a touch of honey. Our interpretation carries that character in a long lasting Eau de Parfum, made in the EU.

What Cashmere Smells Like

Olivier Polge composed 1957 in 2019 as Chanel’s olfactory tribute to Gabrielle Chanel’s most influential decade and the year she received the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award in Dallas. The brief was elegant gratitude, and Polge translated it into a study of white musk: three different musks layered across the top, heart, and base of the composition, supported by honey, orris, cashmeran, and a soft vanilla. The result smells like the inside of an expensive cashmere coat. Quiet, polished, with the kind of refinement that announces money without announcing itself. It belongs to the Les Exclusifs collection, the niche side of the Chanel fragrance house.

How Our Version Compares

Musk soliflores live and die on the quality of the musk accord, which is why Polge’s original commands premium pricing. Our European Union production at 40 percent perfume oil concentration uses musk materials of comparable refinement, allowing the three musk layers to develop properly across the wearing. The cashmeran and orris drydown holds the same soft suede powdered quality that defines the original.

Who It’s For

It suits anyone who loves a soft, clean, skin like scent. It wears beautifully year round, day or evening, and reads as quietly refined. Unisex leaning, and a lovely pick for those who like musks and light florals.

Notes

Top: White Musk, Aldehydes, Bergamot, Pink Pepper, Coriander

Heart: White Musk, Orange Blossom, Jasmine

Base: White Musk, Orris, Cashmeran, Cedar, Honey, Vanilla

How it Smells

The opening is bright and slightly dry, white musk leading with aldehydes giving a soft fizzy lift, bergamot and pink pepper sharpening the edges, and coriander adding a quiet herbal warmth. Within ten minutes the heart settles: orange blossom and jasmine appear, neither dominating, more like supporting characters that let the musk continue its work. The base is where the perfume earns its reputation. Cashmeran with its trademark suede texture, orris adding a cool grey violet powder, honey lending a faint amber sweetness, and cedar grounding everything in warm wood. The drydown stays close to the skin for hours, soft and quietly luxurious.

Common Questions

Does it really smell like cashmere?
It smells like the impression of cashmere: soft, warm, slightly powdered, expensive. Cashmeran (a synthetic woody musk) is responsible for the textural illusion, and Polge uses it generously.

How does it project?
Softly. This is intentionally a close skin scent rather than a statement perfume, in keeping with the Les Exclusifs philosophy. People will smell you when they’re near, not across the room.

Who does it suit?
Anyone drawn to clean, sophisticated, slightly powdered musk compositions. It reads gender neutral and adult, well suited to professional environments and quieter occasions rather than nightclubs.

How does it compare to other Les Exclusifs musks?
1957 sits between Misia and Beige in temperament: cleaner and more contemporary than the heavy violet of Misia, slightly warmer than the bright soliflore of Beige. If you appreciate quiet luxury, this is the Les Exclusifs to know.

Disclaimer

Chanel and 1957 are trademarks of their respective owners, and all rights remain with them. Parfumour is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to Chanel in any way, and no business relationship of any kind is implied. Our product is an original interpretation created to evoke a similar scent profile, and the trademark names are used purely for honest, descriptive comparison, so that you can quickly identify the style and fragrance family you are looking for. We make no claim to sell the original product, and we do not use the same ingredients or formula. Any similarity lies in the overall impression of the scent as interpreted by our own perfumers, not in the source materials.